Automatic film-change alarm and rotating device



v c. FRANCIS.

AUTOMATIC FILM CHANGE ALARM AND ROTATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 27, 1921.

1-,,4=33,196. T T Patented 0ct.24,1922.

Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

VIBGI L C. FRANCIS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC FILM-CHANGE ALARM AND ROTATING DEVICE.

Application filed June 27, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIRGIL C. FRANCIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auto matic F ilm-Change Alarm and Rotating Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab e others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and, use the same.

This invention relates to a moving picture machine and particularlyto the operation of the film carrying member thereof. As is well known to those skilled in the art, modern motion picture places require the use of several films and if only one machine used, a film when run through must is being In many theatres be rep aced by another.

- two machines now are used and when the film is paid out on one, the other machine is started. It has .been the practice to run one film entirel through to the end before starting the ot er machine or taking any steps to replace the film. This results in a delay occurring between the portrayal of the two films.

Itis an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a machine with an indicating means which will indicate to the operator when the film is nearing its end. v It is a further object of the invention to rovideadditional indicating means to ini'cate to the operator 'the time when the film is just about completed so'that if an additional machine is used, the same can be started.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide means which will be operatedby the same indicatin n eans to turn on the light on the additional machine and.

start the same for operating on the next film. s

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear in the following'description made in connection with the accom anying drawings in which like reference 0 aracters refer to the same parts throughout the difierent views and, in whichv Fig. 1 is 'a view in side elevation of a casing forming part of a moving icture mach ne and accompanied with app icants invention, a portion thereof being shown in section;

Serial No. 480,546.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of suchcasing in parts;

Fig. 3 1s a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Fig.- 2looking in the direction of 1the arrows and shown on an enlarged sea e;

Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale showa portion of the invention;

1g.- 5' is a partial sectional view of the device showing a modification; and

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of'the device shown in Fig. 5 as seen from the right thereof.

F i 7 is a diagram of a modified 'cireuitQ Reerring to the drawings, ,a casing l forming the casing of the film in which is mounted on suitably rotatin shafts the film carrier or reel 2. This filth carrier or reel 2 comprises the hub portion 2 and the disc portion 2". The'film A is Wound on the hub portion 2 and paid out or unwound therefrom jected and passes out through opening 1" in the casing. The disc 2" is spaced some distance from the rear wall 1 of the casing and is equipged with a small spring arm 3 arranged ra ially thereon and riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the disc at its outer end. The arm 3 extends radially inwardly in contact with the disc and has one,

end bent substantially to extend forwardly throu h an opening formed in said disc, the en 3 of the forwardl extendin portion being again bent slight y upward y. The layers on the film A are superposed on the hub 2 as shown at a right angle in Fig. 4 and the film is ordinaril pro-- vided along one ed c with a series 0 apertures. The forwarglyprojecting portion of the member 3 as shown in Fi 5 is dis osed between the layers of the ii A an uplwardly projecting portion 3 thereof w ich is quite narrow enters one of the apertures customaril formed in the ed of the film and b w ich it is moved. T e member 3 is ma e of spring material and normally tends to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.. Owing to the engagement of the portion 3, however, with the apertures in t e under tension in the position shown in full lines in Fi 1 and 4 until released b the film, when it will assume the position s own in dotted lines in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the bent end portion of the plate" 3 film, member 3 is heldcarrier or 1 reel of a moving picture machine 1s shown,

as the film is prod p the c isdisposed some distance radially from the hub 2 and another plate 3 similar to the plate 3 is secured to the disc 2 diametrically opposite to the plate 3v and having its bent end forwardly projecting and disposed much more adjacent the hub 2 The plate 3 is thus at a different radial distance from the center of the disc than the plate 3.

Rotatively supported in pairs'on the top ported in casing 6 by a bolt 8 extending through the center thereof and centra-ll through the rear wall of said casing. sleeve 9 surrounds the bolt 8 and spaces the spring plate 7 from the wall of the casing, the bolt vand sleeve being insulated from the casing by insulating plates at each side thereof, the parts being clamped to the casing by a suitable nut applied to said bolt. The bolt Sis extended some distance beyond the casing and its threaded end provided .with suitable binding nuts 12 and 12.

jacent'to the disc 2 with a binding nut 10. Secured in the front wall of. the casing 6 are spaced binding posts 11 and 11 having their inner ends disposed adjacent the plate 7 and being clamped to and insulated from the wall of the casing 7. These binding posts are also equip ppld e shafts 5 extendthrough the said casing be tween the plate 7 and the front wall there- '"of and have secured thereto by clamping nuts threaded thereon cam members 13, adapted, when turned to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3, to press against the ends of this spring plate 7 and, flex the same so that said ends are moved into contact with the binding. posts 11 and 11. The shafts 5 are equipped with lugs 14 and 14 pinned or otherwise rigidly secured thereto and these lugs are arranged to extend ad- The lug 14 is so disposed that the projecting end of the same will be in the path of the plate 3 when thesame moves to its outward position 1 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. .While the lug 14 on the other shaft 5 will be in the path of the plate 3 when it is disposed in its outward position after being released by the film A. The shafts 5 are also equipped at their upper ends outside the casing 6 with members 15 and pins projectingtherefrom by which the shafts can be turned to the desired position.

As shown in Fig. 3 members 8, 11 and 11 are connected in an electrical circuit comprising a battery B, a buzzer D and a 2- pole switch C.

The operation of the device as described is as follows:

The plate 3 will be pushed inwardly between the layers of the film and the point 3 thereof held in engagement with the apertures in the film to hold the plate in its inward posltion. The shafts 5 will be disposed as shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

The plate 3 will likewise be pushed inwardly and engage with the film to be held in similar position. As the film A is now unwound and the reel 2 rotated, the layers on the plate 3 will be removed and when,

result in a cam member 13 on said shaft being turned into contact with one end of plate 7 which will be pushed into contact with a binding screw 11. An electrical circuit will now be closed through the circuit as shown in Fig. 3 and the buzzer D or other signaling device used will be actuated to indicate to the operator that the film is nearing its end. The operatorwill then throw the lever of switch C from the pole shown in contact in Fig. 3 to another pole. As the film continues to unwind and reaches substantially its end portion, the plate 3 will likewise be released and will be carried into contact with the lug 14 The other shaft 5 will then be turned and the lug 13 thereon brought into position to bend the other end of plate 7 into contact with the .its end. The machine can then be stopped.

If desired, the electrical circuits closed by the action of the plates 3 and 3 can be connected to the operating device to light theprojecting lamp on the second machine and also to start the second machine when the film on the first machine is at an end.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modifiedform of actuating plate comprising a spring wire bent at its center portion to form a loop or bight 16 the ends of which are bent to project at a right angle and form a projecting portion 16. The wire is then formed into two coiled springs 16", the ends of which are projected and flattened and suitably secured to the disc 2". The plate or disc 2 is formed with an opening 17 adjacent the member 16. In operation the loop 16 will be bent downwardly and inwardly through a disc 2 and brought between the layers of the film A as shown in Fig. 5, the projection 16 being then in vertical position adjacent the disc 2 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. When the film releases the loop 16 the same will spring to vertical position just outside the disc 2 -and the projection 16 will project outwardly in position to come in contact with itsrespective lugs 14 or 14'.

Fig. 7 illustrates the circuit used when the'member 14 is used to start the auxiliary machine. The conductor from the contact 11 is then carried direct to the battery B instead of.passing)through the switch C and signaling device A solenoid S is placed in the circuit and is actuated when the circuit is closed by member 14 to permit the switch T to close. This switch closes the starting circuit for the motor E which drives the auxiliary machine, and this machine is thus placed in operation.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided simplegand efiicient means. for indicating to the operator of the motion picture machine just when the film is nearing its end and when the same is substantially at its end. The operation of the machine and the auxiliary machine can then be governed accordingly and if desired, the

' auxllia machine can as stated be cony 9 trolled by the said indicating device. The efficiency of this invention has been amply demonstrated in actual practice.-

a film carrying It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details and arrangement of the device without departing from the scope of'applicants inventlon, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a movi gpicture machine having a anged spool and a casing in which the comprising a membersecured to the flange of said spool adjacent said casing and havmeans disposed in t ing a portion projicting through said flange and adapted to held in position under tension by the film, said member being adapted to move outwardlyin a. direction toward the spool flange to which it is secured when initiall released by the film, fie path of said member when in "such released position, and an'alarm device operated by said means. i

2. In a moving picture machine having a film carrying flanged spool and a casing in which the spool turns, an indicating device comprising a member secured to the outside of the flange of the spool which is adjacent thecasing, said member having an arm extending through an aperture formed in the spool and adapted to be held in position.

under tension by the film on the spool, said 'member being adapted to move outwardly spool turns, an indicating device comprising a member carried by member when in released position, and a switch operati shaft'outside d? said casing, -said switch comprising a flexible member contacted by said latter member for operating the switch. 3. In a moving picture machine having a film carrying spool and a casing in which the spool is disposed, an indicating device comprising a pair of resilient members secured toithe flange of the spool at different radial distances from the center thereof ad-' do members secured to said shafts a apted to be member secured to said switch when the shaft is turned by 4. In a moving picture machine having a film carrying flanged spool and a casing in which the spool turns, an indicating device comprising a member secured to the flange of the spool and adapted'to be held in position' by the layers of the film, said member adapted when released to swing outwardly toward the adjacent side of said casing when initially released by the film, and means disposed in the path of said member when released adapted to actuate an alarm device.

5. In a moving picture machine having a film carrying flanged spool and a casing in which the spool turns, an indicating device sa1d spool adjacent said casing and having a portion normally disposed substantially in the plane of the spool flange and having a portion, normally projecting through said flange and adapted to be held in position under tension by the film, said member being adapted-to swing outwardly toward the adjacent wall of the casing when initially released by the film, means disposed in the path of said member when in such released position, and an alarm device operated by sa1d means.

6. In a moving picture machine having a film carrying flanged spool and a casing in whlch the spool turns, an indicating device comprising a resilient member secured to saidspool having a long arm and a short arm adapted to swing together, one of said arms being normall adapted to project through the flange o the spool and be held in place by the layers of the film, said arms being adapted to move outwardly toward the adjacent wall of the case when released film carrying flanged spool and a casing in which the spool turns, an indicatin device comprising a resilient member having two arms, one ofwhich-is secured to the flange of said spool and another of which is adapted to project from the flange and be held in 1,4ss,19e I cured to the flange of the spool at difierent radial distances from the center thereof adjacent the casing, said members having means adapted to swing outwardly away from the flange, and means adapted to ,pro-

ject through said flange and be held in position by the layers of film, a pair of'shafts pivoted in said casing, and dog members secured to said shafts adapted to be contacted, respectively, by said first mentioned means when in released position and members secured to the tops of said shafts outside of the casing adapted to operate a switch when the shaft is turned by said dogs. In testimony whereof I afli'x my-signature.

, VIRGIL C. FRANCIS. 

